Colorado
*IOWA STATE
North Champs: Buffs Top ISU 41-27
November 15, 2002 | Football
Nov. 16, 2002
Final StatsQuotes
BOULDER - Two juniors starred on senior night. Behind 100 yard rushing performances from junior RBs Bobby Purify and Chris Brown, Colorado (8-3, 6-1 Big 12) clinched its second-straight Big 12 North Division Championship with a 41-27 win over Iowa State (7-4, 4-4 Big 12) Saturday at Folsom Field.
Chris Brown had 127 yards off of 25 carries and a touchdown before leaving the game in the third quarter with a bruised sternum. Purify came in and carried the brunt of the rushing load after that and finished with 174 yards off of 20 carries and one touchdown. Purify also led CU with five receptions for 51 yards.
"We were fortunate to get a win, in position now to go back and play for the Big 12 Championship," CU head coach Gary Barnett said. "I don't think seven weeks ago people gave us a chance to do that, but we stayed in there, stayed tough and got the job done. The seniors did a great job, it was wonderful just to see them out there and win. Every week, we just rallied. This is a team that has not looked beyond anything, we've focused one week at a time. After the USC game, our seniors and captains exerted themselves and their personalities led this team."
Senior QB Robert Hodge had an impressive game completing 17-of-28 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns. Senior WR Derek McCoy made an amazing catch for one of those touchdowns and finished with three catches for 25 yards. D.J. Hackett caught a lob pass in the first quarter for a touchdown and finished with four catches for 69 yards.
"Now you know why we were happy to get D.J. Hackett," Barnett said. "He's been healthy for the past few weeks and has been playing really well."
The game was a back-and-fourth affair, as there were six lead changes. CU got on the board first with a 43 yard field goal from Patrick Brougham. Hodge came out quick on that drive and completed his first four passes to put CU up at the 10:37 mark of the first quarter.
Seneca Wallace had a 48 yard run on the Cyclones' first drive and Michael Wagner ran the ball in from the five to give ISU its first lead at 7-3 before CU responded with an 8-yard alley oop pass from Robert Hodge for CU's first TD and the 10-7 lead.
The last half of the second quarter, the teams traded lead changes and touchdowns again. Wallace hit Lance Young for a 50 yard pass to put ISU up 14-10 before Chris Brown had a five-yard run to put CU back up 17-14.
The Cyclones continued the trend early in the third quarter with a Joe Woodley one yard run but ISU missed an extra point and led 20-17 at that point. For the first time in the game, one team scored twice in a row as Brougham hit a 40-yard field goal and then McCoy caught his six yard pass from Hodge to put CU up 27-20. CU then benefited from a Wallace fumble which Medford Moorer was able to take back 71 yards for a score and put CU up 34-20 with just 5:12 remaining.
Wallace would rebound, and on the next drive, he was 4-of-4 passing for 64 yards and had one rush for six yards and a touchdown and those five plays constituted the entire drive. In a bit of irony, CU's final scoring drive would be a six play and 80 yard drive and Purify had all 80 yards on six carries to put the game away. He used a 50 yard run from one 25 yard line to the other on the second play of the drive to get things rolling.
"This is the type of game where no lead is a safe lead," Barnett said. "They are so dangerous and this was such a my turn, your turn game that I never felt good about any lead we had. Seneca Wallace is a great football player, I'm glad we don't have to see him anymore. It was one of those games where both teams turned the ball over, both teams had big plays and we just perservered. There were so many big plays in the game, it usually comes down to turnovers, and this one certainly did. We both had some turnovers, but I think it was the difference."
The Buffs will end the regular season at Nebraska November 29 before heading to Houston to face the South Division Champion December 7 at 6 p.m. MT.
